Quake: It would take a miracle
2008-05-15 11:37
Beijing - It would take a miracle to find any survivors buried under the rubble for more than 72 hours since a powerful earthquake shook southwest China, an official said on Wednesday.
"As the destruction was severe and people were buried somewhere deep below ground, there's real trouble," Zhang Zhoushu, vice director of the state-run China Earthquake Disaster Prevention Centre, told AFP.
"If there are some survivors under such conditions, it would be a matter of luck or a miracle."
More than 40 000 people were dead or missing, many under collapsed buildings or landslides, three days after the 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck Sichuan province. Other reports put the number at 50 000.
But there were still rare reports of people being pulled out of rubble alive.
The last known miracle survivor - an 11-year-old girl - was rescued from under her collapsed school in Yingxiu, the epicentre, 64 hours after the quake.
"If people trapped are anxious, their strength will fade more quickly. They must stay emotionally stable to live longer," Zhang said.
"They should wait quietly for rescue while tapping on something to make noise, to let the outside world know."
Willie McMartin, director of British-based charity International Rescue Corps, earlier told AFP his organisation would normally slow down rescue operations a week after an earthquake strikes.